Brands
Indus Towers names Venkatesh Tiwari as chief operating officer
Amazon veteran to take charge as Tejinder Kalra retires in August
MUMBAI: Indus Towers Limited has appointed Venkatesh Tiwari as chief operating officer, marking a key leadership transition as the company prepares for the retirement of its current COO, Tejinder Singh Kalra, later this year.
Tiwari’s appointment, effective April 1, places him within the company’s senior management personnel and sets the stage for a smooth handover ahead of Kalra’s retirement on August 31.
Bringing nearly three decades of experience, Tiwari joins from Amazon, where he held multiple leadership roles across operations, logistics and quick commerce. He played a central role in launching ultra-fast delivery services in India and scaling complex supply chain networks, including grocery, same-day delivery and third-party logistics.
His career spans a wide range of industries, including telecommunications, consumer electronics and FMCG. Before Amazon, he held leadership positions at Samsung, Bharti Airtel and Perfetti Van Melle, where he worked across operations, sales, customer service and marketing functions.
At Airtel, Tiwari contributed to several strategic and operational initiatives, gaining experience that aligns closely with Indus Towers’ core business in telecom infrastructure. His expertise in managing large-scale operations and customer-focused transformation is expected to support the company’s next phase of growth.
The appointment comes at a time when telecom infrastructure providers are navigating rising data demand and network expansion, making operational leadership increasingly critical.
With Tiwari stepping in and a transition window in place, Indus Towers appears to be ensuring continuity while bringing in fresh perspective. As the baton passes later this year, the focus will be on maintaining momentum in a fast-evolving digital ecosystem.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
